A Princess' Station
by VampedVixen
Summary: Isabella is getting tired of being a pretty, perfect princess. (featuring a reprise of 'Secret Mission')


Princess Isabella Lucia Maria Elizabetta of Valencia was tired of being the perfect princess that the kingdom of Valencia wanted her to be- all prim and proper and excessively boring. She had at least convinced her parents to let her off the hook when it came to marrying her cousin, which became an easier task once they saw for themselves the life Prince Harry envisioned for Isabella. Even if they insisted that their family tree went straight up just like it always had before, her mother and father would not stand for their only daughter becoming a plaything locked away for the rest of her life in some pretty pink room. Still, all that aside they demanded so much of her these days.

She tried to keep them happy, especially when they compromised by letting her accept Galavant's marriage proposal. They agreed to let him and Isabella wed on the one condition that she take her duties to the kingdom seriously. She always had before, it wasn't like they even had to ask. Isabella naturally put others before herself. It was the only right thing to do when she thought of the privileged life that she was fortunate to enjoy.

Still, the daily tasks of a princess though were tedious and boring. There was all those history lessons and economics to learn, all the names to learn of the other pompous nobles in neighboring kingdoms, all the rules about the proper fashion to attire herself in and above all, there was definitely no running around the countryside. If it hadn't been for King Richard's demands, she never would have been allowed to leave the castle at all.

It was something her parents had always fought about before. Her father wanted a male heir and did what he could to raise Isabella in the arts of swordsmanship and the art of taking care of herself in a male dominated society, but her mother wanted her to be dainty and lady-like. Now that she was helping Valencia to rebuild itself and readying herself to become queen of the kingdom, it had come to a disappointing head. Her mother was definitely winning in this heated debate.

Anytime she left the castle, her mother would give her that disappointed and disapproving look- the one that kept Isabella from all the fun and trouble that she could be getting into outside the castle walls. The past few weeks she'd skipped out on leaving the castle at all, not wanting to get an earful from her mother.

Sure, she could tell that her mother was still upset from the previous war with King Richard and the fear that her only daughter would be killed in the chaos that had followed, but as Isabella sat in the throne room day after day she was growing more annoyed with what was expected of her by her parents, her kingdom and everyone else who felt they had the right to tell her what to do and what to say.

It was putting strain on her relationship with Galavant, which she was sure her parents were taking pleasure in watching. Even after he saved them all time and again, they never quite got over the fact that he was not of royal blood but still had the audacity to choose marriage with their only daughter.

Isabella, on the other hand, was just annoyed with him that he got to go off and play the hero whenever he wanted, gallivanting around the kingdom and coming back home with adventures he and Sid never stopped talking about. She was homebound while he was still out there, freely living his life because no one bothered very much with trying to keep tabs on him.

She sighed and slouched down in her throne, which she was sure her mother would complain about if she saw Isabella now- princesses were supposed to have perfect posture and be able to balance books on their head instead of ever reading them. Luckily though, everyone else in the castle was sound asleep. It was just Isabella and the million little voices in her head that told her to run, to get out and find something exciting to do with her life before she was made queen and put in a metaphorical cage for the rest of her life. It wouldn't be that much different than the pretty pink room Prince Harry wanted to keep her locked away inside.

Isabella closed her eyes and tried not to think of how much she felt like she was suffocating, but when she heard footsteps approach the doorway of the throne room she opened them once more. Somehow she knew it would be him, her fiance- maybe she'd memorized the way his footsteps sounded or the smell of the musky wilderness that she was actually becoming quite fond of these days. "Galavant?"

"Izzy? Is something wrong?" He was holding a candle, creeping around the castle as quietly as he could to not wake anyone. "I woke up and you weren't snoring next to me- it was weird. Too quiet. Definitely too quiet."

She sighed. "Nothing's wrong."

"No," he told her, catching on to her little game. This was the problem of being in love with someone who knew her so deeply. She had gotten one big lie over on Galavant in all the time they'd known each other. After that one about Madalena wanting Gal to come back to save her, Isabella had never been able to get away with any other. He knew her heart, just as she knew his own. "That's not a nothing face. That's a something face. What is it, my love? Did you have that nightmare about being chased by the six-foot tall chicken again?"

"I only had it that once and it was six-foot-three and chickens can be very scary when they're trying to peck you to death and..." Isabella grimaced, regretting telling him about that nightmare all those weeks ago. He hadn't let her live it down since then, but she was used to his playful mocking by now. "Oh, nevermind."

He laughed and came closer, the light of the candle accentuating his perfectly chiseled cheekbones. Even all these months after being together, there were times when just looking at him made her breath catch and her heart skip a beat. iDamn/i, was all she could think.

"It wasn't a nightmare." She finally found her voice again. "Unless you count having to live up to everyone's expectations of me a complete and utter- ugh. I'm so bored here, Gal. I miss the days when it was just us, you know? I wish it was as easy for me to go off and have adventures as it is for you."

He laughed. "Is that really all this is?"

She frowned. He was so nonchalant about everything, not even realizing how hard it was for her to sit at home day after day. "It's kind of a big thing, Galavant. You don't have to laugh it off like it's nothing. I am tired of being the pretty, sugar and spice and everything nice princess."

"Then come with me." He extended his hand, a devious smile crossing his lips. He hadn't been laughing at how silly she sounded, Isabella realized- but at how easy of a problem this was to fix. He looked every bit of the solution to this problem. Adventure lay in his eyes and beckoned her to follow him, but it was impossible. He was not of royal blood and did not have the entire weight of the kingdom resting on his shoulders. He just didn't understand, but he still called her to arms. "There's a dragon that needs slaying in the northern mountains. And I am in need of an accomplice since Sid is off with that new lady-in-waiting of yours lately."

She shook her head. "I- I couldn't. I have my obligations and I have to look after my family and..."

"Well, all right," he straightened up, taking back his hand. There was the hint of a challenge in his voice though, daring her onward. "If you're scared, you can just sit around this dump for the rest of your days, while I go off there and..."

"Wait just a minute!" She told him. "I can run circles around any dragon and I'm good with a sword and... and I never said I was scared!"

"Then come on, princess." He smirked but then that air of heroism and courage came over him and Isabella was once more reminded that Galavant wasn't just the one who got to eat the raisins. He was her hero in many, many ways. "You wait all your years for your life to begin and it never will."

Isabella rose to her feet, a new determination forming in her mind as she reached out for Galavant's hand. He pulled her towards him, kissing her on the forehead and then they were off running through the castle, giggling to themselves as she swore she could hear music swelling from somewhere unseen. She thought she vaguely recalled its tune from that night Galavant had run about the castle with Richard in tow.

"Oh, we're off on a secret mission," he sang quietly as they sneaked down the hallway together, passing the rooms of the other residents of the castle. Everyone else might be sleeping, but Isabella could feel herself waking up with every step she took as life took hold of her once more.

"We've got us a secret plan." She agreed, her pretty purple dress fluttering in the air behind them. Isabella held onto Galavant's hand, letting him lead her where he wanted, following the only man who could ever match her pace.

He grinned back at her, his smile lighting up her world with all sorts of new possibilities. "We're going to go and slay some dragons."

"As quietly as we can," Isabella stopped him as they neared her parents room. They were going to have to be careful about this plot. Rumors would spread through the kingdom if people started hearing that she was sneaking out in the middle of the night to go get into trouble- and with a dragon no less!

"We'll sneak up and then surprise it, before it has time to hiss." Galavant pulled her into a darkened alcove, leaning against the wall of the hallway. He gestured towards the end of the hallway where a guard was passing by and she stifled a laugh as they hid in the dark. He would keep her secret safe, this she already knew. His fingers delicately lifted her chin until she was looking up at him. "We're off and away but first, another kiss. Da-Da, Da-Da, Da, Da!"

She joined in for the dadada's but then snuggled in for a kiss, sharing the tryst with him as the music continued to play lightly in the background. Isabella couldn't believe how silly she had been thinking that her life could ever be boring with him by her side. He would never settle down, the fire and passion in his heart was something that would entice her into his world full of crazy schemes and madcap mayhem for the rest of her days.

Galavant turned to look down the hallway, making sure the guard was gone before he continued onward and pulled her with him. "We're off on a secret mission!"

"A totally secret scheme," Isabella whispered, nudging him to be a little more quieter. The fear they would get caught sneaking out was still present in her mind, even if he seemed to be getting a kick out of running off with her tonight. It only made him laugh harder.

Once they made it to their room, Galavant wasted no time suiting up, grabbing his best sword and handing a dagger to Isabella. They were going to be ready when they met this dragon and she would be there with him every step of the way. She starred at the dagger in her hand and the rest of the world started to fall away with it's needs and it's wants and it's rules and obligations and duties. It was just Isabella and Galavant now and the hell with what anyone else thought of that.

"We'll slyly go out without a doubt," he promised her as they left their room behind and turned another corner, deftly avoiding everyone as they ran towards the main doors of the castle. They paused to see that no one was following them and then pushed those giant wooden doors open, causing cold night air to rush inside. "And make those dumb dragons scream."

"We've got to be swift and stealthy," Isabella squeezed out the small opening in between the doors, looking up at the night sky. As homebound as she'd been these past few weeks, this was the first time she'd actually stepped foot outside. She looked up at the stars and felt a new freedom in her veins. This was what real living was truly about, no rules, no obligations just her and Gal enjoying themselves once again. "so none will think amiss."

"We're off on our way, but first, another kiss." Galavant grabbed her around the waist and she could tell this was what he had been waiting for as well. He wanted to take her along as an equal, a companion- not a princess but as someone just as strong and able as he was to fight for what they wanted in this world. The doors shut behind them and as they stood on the road that led to the woods and would eventually lead to the mountain top, it was just the two of them and a night full of stars.

He kissed her then and she could feel her whole world expanding once again. He tasted of a million things she wanted to try, so many roads she wanted to walk down with him and all those tales they were going to tell their children some day if they ever settled down long enough to have them. They sang together, their hearts knowing the music of each other's souls as well and as true as their own. "Da-Da, Da-Da, Da, Da."

And then they tiptoed off into the night, Isabella bursting with pride and love and all the excitement of yet another travel with her Galavant. She giggled as she looked at the castle behind them, what they didn't know back there wouldn't hurt them. There was something just as mischievous in her soul as his own as Isabella whispered to him. "A secret, secret, hush, hush, hush..."

.End.


End file.
